Contemporary Photography

Gabriel Spitzer to Moderate Discussion at the MoCP about the Links Between Humans and Non-Human Primates

Alison Ruttan, Mullet, 2006; Courtesy of the artist

Gabriel Spitzer, host of WBEZ Chicago’s popular program Clever Apes, will moderate a conversation about evolution and links between humans and their primate ancestors at the MoCP at 6 p.m. on Thursday, August 25.

The conversation is being held in conjunction with the museum’s current show, Our Origins, which uses a combination of scientific analysis and artistic expression to answer questions about human nature and evolution as well as our place within the cosmos.

Spitzer, who covers science, health and the environment for WBEZ Chicago, will moderate the discussion between artist Alison Ruttan, whose work explores the links between humans and primates, and Dr. Laurie Santos, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Yale University.

Santos’ research focuses on the ability of non-human primates to possess precursors to human thought, such as how to use reason to make decisions. Just last summer, Santos presented some of her finding in a TED Talk about how primates mimic human’s common economic decisions.

Admission to the event is free and open to the public. For more details, take a look at the exhibitions page on our website or keep posted via Facebook.